Opening Reception: Friday, June 22, 2012, 5–7 PM
Santa Fe artist Rick Stevens’ newest collection of vibrantly colored oils and pastels reflects his far-ranging quest to observe and interpret the world around him. Drawing on inspirations as diverse as fusion jazz, Zen Buddhism, and quantum physics, he embraces the ever-changing rhythms of nature via flowing shapes, interwoven backgrounds and foregrounds, and dynamic transitions between positive and negative space.
“My work has always been about the natural world,” says Stevens. “I think of nature as a continuous flow of shapes and patterns of energy that has, or more precisely is, an intelligent force. I don’t draw a hard distinction between the inner and outer world. Observing the outer world can be an inner experience.”
This creative duality expresses itself via Stevens’ signature ability to produce luminous representations of light and matter that hover somewhere between the literal and the abstract. There’s an ethereal quality to these paintings that suggests subtle but constant motion—shifting shadows, filtered light that erupts into brilliant flashes, gently rippling swaths of glowing color.
The show’s title, “Perpetual Unfolding,” refers to both the constant mutability of nature and the flow of the creative process. “Everything has an empty space within it, even atoms, even thoughts,” Stevens observes. This new body of work explores that uncharted terrain, revealing the multitudes within the nothingness and the complexity within the minimal.
Stevens will be present at the opening reception on June 22 to share his thoughts on his subject matter and discuss his creative process.
The show continues through July 8, 2012.
For Additional Information Contact:
Nancy Hunter
505.984.2111
hunterkirkland@earthlink.net
www.hunterkirklandcontemporary.com